Chapter 183
Chapter 183
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 183
Chapter Title: The Fate of 'Daddy, I Love You!'
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One day, while spending joyful days with Yu-na, I received a call from PD Kim Eun-young and rushed to the KY Broadcasting Station conference room.
The message I'd received was this.
[Please come to KY Broadcasting Station by 1 p.m. today. A very important meeting is scheduled.]
What could this important meeting be about?
Before that...
I kneaded Yu-na's chubby tummy as she sat on my lap, glancing around cautiously.
Kim Seo-bin, Kim Ra-hee.
And An Su-jin were nowhere to be seen.
Moreover, everyone looked grim; the atmosphere felt off.
'Did something bad happen?'
With that thought, I kept rubbing Yu-na's tummy, which was addictively soft.
Squish. Squish.
"...Daddy, all the uncles are acting weird."
"Haa..."
"Haaa..."
Sighs echoed from here and there.
Just hearing them drained my energy.
Unable to hold back any longer, I spoke up.
"Why is everyone sighing like their lives are over?"
"...They are over. Our show's done for."
"Y-Yeah. It's probably getting... canceled soon?"
"Yes. That's likely. Probably..."
Kim Baek-hyun and Kim Dae-ju took turns saying this from right in front of me.
"'Daddy, I Love You!' getting canceled...?
I hadn't heard anything about that.
"...What are you talking about? The show's getting canceled? The kids won Best Icon at the Entertainment Awards, didn't they? And yet...?"
"......"
"......"
Everyone just hesitated.
No one opened their mouth.
Poke! Poke!
Yu-na tapped the back of my hand and opened her tiny mouth wide.
"Daddy, what's cancellation?"
"Huh? Well... it means the camera uncles won't come to our house anymore."
"What? The camera uncles won't come anymore? Why? Why?"
"I don't know that either, sweetie..."
That was when.
An Jeong-su let out deep sighs and drummed his fingers on the table.
"Jun-seo, you announced your next project, right? So... you'll be leaving the show again this time?"
"...Huh? Oh."
Ah, I see.
Now I understood why they all looked so down, like they'd lost their country.
'My announced next project.'
It was because of my upcoming project, whose shooting schedule wasn't even set yet.
An Jeong-su continued.
"We just feel like this show, which has been surviving on your popularity, is finally coming to an end."
"So... it's because of Daddy...?"
As Yu-na's face darkened, Kim Baek-hyun right in front of us waved his hands frantically.
"Ah, no. It's because the uncles aren't popular enough, not fun enough... that's all."
With that, Kim Baek-hyun.
Let a single tear drop.
"The uncle's crying?"
"I'm not..."
"Hmm. Daddy. Hold on a sec."
Hop!
Yu-na suddenly jumped off my lap and ran to Kim Baek-hyun.
"Uncle. No! Don't cry."
Pat. Pat.
Yu-na patted Kim Baek-hyun's back.
"......"
I pinched my thigh hard.
I bit my lower lip tight.
'Ah, I can't laugh here...'
An Jeong-su and Kim Dae-ju were shaking their shoulders hard, holding back laughs just like me.
Everyone felt the same.
Bang-!
"S-Sorry. The previous meeting ran long, so I was late..."
PD Kim Eun-young arrived late.
She froze like a statue upon seeing Yu-na patting Kim Baek-hyun's back.
"Good boy. Good boy. Uncle. No crying!"
"Sniff..."
"Here. Wipe your tears with this tissue."
Kim Baek-hyun took the tissue from Yu-na and wiped his tears, blowing his nose.
Only then did Kim Eun-young snap out of it and burst into laughter as she sat in an empty seat.
"What happened here? Looks like something funny went down..."
I shrugged and answered.
"It's exactly what it looks like."
"Ahem! Alright! We can't keep busy people here forever..."
Wiping the smile off her face, Kim Eun-young scanned everyone before fixing her gaze on me.
"The reason I called you all here urgently is because Jun-seo announced your next project, right?"
At her words, all eyes turned to me.
Even then, Kim Eun-young didn't stop.
"Fans have been saying even Yu-na alone should appear, so... after a meeting among the production team last night, we came up with two options."
"...Two options?"
At my question, the PD nodded.
"First option: Jun-seo stays on the show until your drama shooting starts."
Her meaning was that I could leave as soon as the schedule was set.
My next project was an action drama.
I'd have to learn all sorts of extreme action under the martial arts director.
Which meant.
It would be tougher and busier than any drama I'd shot so far.
'Obviously... leaving is the answer, right?'
It might seem heartless.
But my heart was leaning toward leaving.
'Well, still.'
She said there was another option.
Might as well hear it out.
"...What's the other option?"
She smiled brightly and spoke.
"Yu-na appears alone."
"...Pardon?"
"Oh, I skipped ahead. The other dads will take care of Yu-na for busy Jun-seo during your drama shoots... that kind of content."
An Jeong-su, who'd been listening quietly, lit up and slammed the table.
Thwack-!
The loud noise made everyone flinch.
"Oh! That's good!"
"Yes, that's why I called you all here urgently. Even if Jun-seo accepts, if you all say no, it's not viable."
"What do you all think? I'm good with it."
An Jeong-su asked while scanning everyone.
Kim Baek-hyun, who'd stopped crying, rubbed his red eyes and smiled.
"I'm fine with it. Seo-bin would love it too. With our show's mascot staying, it won't get canceled, right?"
"I'm certain. If Jun-seo picks the second option, what about you, Dae-ju?"
At the PD's question, Kim Dae-ju flinched and glanced around slyly.
"M-My daughter Ra-hee loves Yu-na too, so no issues there."
Now eyes turned back to me.
I closed my eyes gently.
Yu-na alone on 'Daddy, I Love You!'.
I felt unnecessarily worried.
'Can she handle it by herself?'
After agonizing with no answer, I turned to Yu-na.
"Yu-na, what do you want to do?"
Yu-na, sitting primly next to Kim Baek-hyun, closed her eyes and cutely crossed her arms.
"Hmm..."
Silence fell instantly.
Her twitching little eyebrows.
Her pursed lips in thought.
Soon, Yu-na's eyes snapped open.
"I'll do it. I want to."
"Without Daddy, just you?"
"Yes."
I nodded at Yu-na's decision. The eyes of those waiting quietly curved into half-moons.
PD Kim Eun-young's eyes did the same.
"Then... when Jun-seo starts drama shooting later, the dads take turns caring for Yu-na."
"Sounds good."
"I-I'm good too."
"Our Su-jin will love it."
After the meeting, I was leisurely driving home.
Honk-! Honk-!
Nonstop horns from front and back.
I tapped the steering wheel idly.
"What's up... why's traffic so bad?"
A road that never jammed before was completely gridlocked, like someone blocked it on purpose.
Tap-! Tap-!
After tapping a few times.
"Ah! Come on, clear up already."
"Yeah! Yeah! Clear up! Clear!"
That was when.
As if answering our desperate wish, the cars ahead started moving.
"Oh, clearing up?"
My desperate wish...
Wasn't granted at all.
It moved a bit, then stopped dead.
Frustrated, I rolled the window all the way down, and a megaphone voice came from right ahead.
-Sorry. The road ahead is closed for drama filming. No passage.
Guess they were filming a drama up front, blocking the road.
"Huh? Daddy! They're filming a drama! Can we go watch?"
"Hmm... we have time, so why not?"
Luckily, there was a side road to the right, so I turned the wheel.
After driving a while, a spot came into view.
I quickly parked in the empty space before anyone else could.
"Yu-na, you can unbuckle now."
"Okay."
While Yu-na unbuckled, I turned and reached into the back seat.
A cute hat and mask.
"Daddy, can I get out now?"
"Wait a sec."
I put the mask and hat on Yu-na, then nodded satisfied.
Perfect.
"Now you can get out. Stay close and watch."
Yu-na cracked the door open to peek outside, just like before.
After a moment.
She flung the door wide and hopped out with grunts.
'Alright, my turn to get out?'
I opened the glove box on the passenger side, grabbed a hat and mask, and covered my face neatly like Yu-na.
Bang!
The driver's door suddenly opened.
Yu-na had come back to open it.
"Daddy! Hurry! What if we miss it? Huh?"
"Heh heh. Okay."
"Faster. Faster."
I got out, piggybacked the urging Yu-na, and hurried.
Lots of shady spots here.
The road's slippery, so be careful.
"Alright, let's go."
"Hee hee hee. Go!"
I stepped carefully.
We passed the shady alley onto the main street and headed right.
How far did we walk?
We'd reached the city entrance.
"Daddy, looks like they're filming over there."
"Seems so..."
A ton of people crowded where Yu-na pointed.
No gaps to squeeze through...
I went to the back of the crowd, craned my neck to peek inside.
"Can't see a thing..."
"Yeah, Yu-na can't see either. Excuse me. Uncle in front. Yu-na's coming through."
Yu-na tapped the shoulder ahead.
"I'm not an unc—Gasp!"
The man, frowning as he turned, locked eyes with me.
His pupils shook violently.
He looked back and forth between Yu-na and me, then gasped again.
"Ah, go ahead."
"Thanks."
"Hee hee hee. Thank you, Uncle."
"...I'm in my twenties. Not an uncle yet. Do I look old?"
Leaving the dejected man behind.
I carefully asked permission from everyone as we weaved inside.
"Hee hee hee. Now I can see great."
"Front row, of course. Now quietly watch. Got it?"
"Yes!"
As I gently patted Yu-na's butt after her energetic reply.
Thud! A male actor collapsed right in front of us. Looking closely, it was someone I knew well.
"Huh? What? It's Su-ho hyung...?"
"Daddy. You said be quiet."
I quickly covered my mouth.
They were in the middle of filming; my words could force a reshoot from the top.
...Too late?
Crowd around me buzzed and started backing away.
Worse, fallen Kang Su-ho stared at me with wide eyes.
Our gazes clashed in midair.
After a moment.
Kang Su-ho finally spoke.
"...Jun-seo? Why are you popping out there?"
Indeed.
It was already too late.